Something living in your chimney? Chimney animal removal in Plant City

How bats leave before the chimney is sealed

Bats are removed from buildings by exclusion, not by trapping. An exclusion device lets bats leave but not come back, and Florida's rule sets weather conditions for how long the device must be in place before openings are sealed.

That work belongs with a wildlife professional who handles bat exclusions. Once the bats are out and the exclusion period is complete, our team cleans the chimney and fits a cap or screen that keeps them from returning.

Bats that are sealed in instead of excluded may find their way into the living space or die inside the chimney. Doing the exclusion properly the first time avoids both results.

Checking the damper after an animal visit

Animals and their nests can jam a damper, bend its plate or leave debris in its frame. A damper that no longer closes fully lets the next visitor into the room and lets conditioned air up the flue.

After cleaning, we open and close the damper, clear its frame and check the plate and handle. If it needs repair, the estimate explains the repair separately so you can decide.

Some homeowners take the chance to upgrade the cap or add a top-sealing damper at the same time. We explain the options without pressure and price each one separately.

Chimneys with more than one flue

A masonry chimney may hold two or more flues, for example a fireplace flue alongside another appliance flue. An animal can be in any of them, and each one needs checking before the top is closed.

Depending on the chimney, the flues can be covered by one cap that spans the crown or by a separate cap on each flue. We explain which suits your chimney and make sure every flue is clear before any cap goes on.

If one of the flues serves an appliance that is still in use, that flue gets extra attention, because a nest there affects how the appliance vents.

When animals are in the attic as well

Animals that reach a chimney top sometimes find other ways into a house, through gaps at the roofline, vents or soffits. If you hear movement in the attic or in walls away from the fireplace, the chimney may not be the only entry.

Our work covers the chimney and, on factory-built systems, the chase around it. For the rest of the roofline, a wildlife professional is the right person to look, and we tell you what we see at the chimney and what falls outside it.